- It used mainly free channels and drew a lot of attention from the media – national and regional.

- It evoked discussions and dialogue among the public.

- It was based on a true story and was done with a journalistic approach.

- It helped establish and maintain a meaningful, value-based relationship between the brand and the public.

- It helped change the audience’s associations to the brand.

- It changed the public behavior.

In this case – none.

This work raises awareness about first aid and invites people to learn it. Red Cross in Lithuania calculates that if only a few more people would learn first aid, around a hundred more people every year could be saved. And that is the goal of this branded content.

Situation

- Red Cross in Lithuania estimates that a hundred or more people could be saved every year if only more people would know how to do first aid.

- But not many people are attending first aid courses.

- First aid is not a trending topic – neither in social media, nor in the national or regional media.

Brief

Raise awareness of the importance of first aid.

Objectives

- Make first aid an important and talked about issue.

- Make the courses easily accessible and convince the audience to attend.

The creative idea was to address the issue of first aid and raise awareness of it not by scaring people with death, but by showing how much saving one man’s life actually means. The work is based on an insight: when you save one life, you actually save many. You save someone’s brother, mother or friend from loss and pain.

To get this message across a documentary video was created. We invited two heroes who saved a human life just one year before. We asked them to tell how it all happened. What they didn’t know was that just on the other side of the wall, the rescued man and his family, relatives and friends were listening to their story. During the interview, all of them came in and surprised the saviors by thanking them and delivering a powerful message that when you save one life, you save many.

Approach

The media is only interested in what’s happening NOW. But you can’t plan the story about saving someone’s life.

So, the strategy was to tell a one-year old story but to spin and make it about NOW and RELEVANT. This was done by showing how much of an impact the saving of one man’s life actually makes.

This journalistic approach helped the story to earn free media exposure, created an emotional appeal, and encouraged the public to share their stories and join the dialogue about first aid.

Target media, PR planning

Social media – for the launch, dialogue with the public, visibility of the story.

National media – to create awareness about the topic, to make an emotional impact, to make it a nationwide and credible topic.

Local and direct media – building on the emotional story, to share practical advice, invite people to attend first aid courses.

True story documentary film was set exactly one year after the heroes saved a life. A few days before Christmas. The video got most of its views within the first three weeks.

The video was placed in Youtube and Facebook simultaneously. The media responded and followed the story afterwards independently.

Simultaneously the courses were organised.

Reach

- Facebook ~1.1 million.

- YouTube ~333,000

- Total ~1.5 million.

- First post with the video generated ~177,000 organic reach.

Engagement

- Record breaking engagement for the brand’s Facebook page: ~ 22,500.

- Facebook shares: ~ 1,000

- Facebook reactions: ~ 7.800

- Facebook comments: ~ 200

- Average watching time in YouTube: 2.13 min. (the video is 2.50 minutes long).

Impact

- All the major media outlets mentioned the true story and the video.

- Search term first aid in Google increased by 71%

- All of the 211 courses in locations around the country were fully booked.

Increase in positive associations for the brand:

- + 16% – I trust this company (from 36% to 52%);

- + 25% – This company takes care of its clients (from 37% to 62%).